Youth want skate park expansion

About 16 years ago, a group of youth went to the town council and told them they wanted a place to ride their skateboards. As a result of their efforts, the town paid for a skate park to be built.

At the time it was brand new, but now another group of youth wants the skate park to be extended. However, this group hasn’t done what the group did 16 years ago; they haven’t let the town know what they want.

So, they’ll have to approach town council with a plan on how to raise money for an expanded skate park.

The group has a list off issues they would like the town to know about concerning the skate park.

1. It is too crowded.

2. The ability to perform tricks or other activities is limited.

3. The fencing and barriers stop them from jumping or doing tricks.

4. It needs more to it.

5. They feel that the park is only friendly towards bikes, even though some people like to skateboard too.

6. The park is uneven.

7. It needs the sewage system re-done.

However, there are issues with the town being able to expand the skate park.

These include the fact that the CVRD owns the parking lot, which means a conversation with the CVRD about any expansion. And if it were to be expanded towards Centennial Park, it would go over the dirt road, which would block one of the two access points to Centennial. Then there is the fact that the town would have to pay for it, again.

Other then those issues, the town has not had any problems with youth being at the skate park.

At the end of the day the youth would have to convince the town council that would be a good way to spend tax dollars.

“Partnerships work the best when working with a service club or a user group that wants to raise money because its always better when the group who wants it, [partners with a group] with some kind of money and time [to put] into the project to show they’re committed to it,” said member of town council, Bob Day.

The town would also like to be sure that the expanded park would be used. There were a couple of youth who wanted the BMX park. The town did what they asked, then the next day it was empty.

According to Day, if the youth really wanted it they would be picking weeds and grass and helping to maintain it.

This means it will take some good talking to convince town council to expand the skatepark.

When asked how he would feel if the town was to expand the skate park, local youth, Rylan Mayea responded with, “I’d be very happy, but I’d be way happier the they made a whole new skate park.”